


I Just Can't Get No Relief

by liveaid



Category: iKON (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Idiots in Love, M/M, Mutual Pining, Strangers to Lovers, everybody loves queen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-31
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2019-12-29 21:18:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18302120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liveaid/pseuds/liveaid
Summary: The moment the first lyrics of Queen’s Somebody to Love echo across the auditorium, Jinhwan swears he falls in love right then and there.





	1. Chapter 1

No matter how hard he squints, Jinhwan can’t seem to find the logic behind holding the Student Showcase on a Wednesday night. 

He also doesn’t understand how Bobby and Hanbin were able to draw him all the way across campus to attend said showcase when he has a Macroeconomics quiz to study for the next day.

Though he’s never been, he knows that the showcase is the most celebrated event of the year that has most of the student body cramming itself into the already-packed auditorium.

“Who’s going first?” Jinhwan asks, shifting in his seat.

“Greek life then everyone else,” Hanbin answers as he types furiously on his phone screen. His fingers indicate that he’s either a) trying to prove a point to someone, or b) texting Jihoon ideas for song lyrics in rapid-fire succession, but his bored expression indicates otherwise.

It’s another six seconds before his fingers come to a halt and he looks up. “Don’t know the exact order though.”

Jinhwan sighs, leaning against the backrest of the chair. His eyes trail over the people still milling about the aisles and he considers bailing out to cram for his quiz, but suddenly the lights dim and the crowd erupts in noise.

Someone saunters onto centre stage, reciprocating the audience’s whoops and whistles thundering inside the hall with a blinding smile. Jinhwan can’t put a name to the face of the person he’s pretty sure he saw belting out the lyrics of _I Want It All_ while standing on a table (as per _High School Musical_ fashion) at the Student Union the other day.

“Hello everyone, and welcome to the annual Student Showcase! I’m Seungkwan Boo and I’ll be your host for the night.”

_Who the hell is this guy,_ Jinhwan wonders, because the crowd roars in response to Seungkwan’s brief introduction. 

“Thank you all for coming to show your support for our contestants today! Now, you may be wondering why I’m here emcee-ing instead of sweeping you ladies off your feet with my _alluring_ voice.”

Seungkwan winks and Jinhwan watches as the girls in the first few rows fake-swoon and the rest of the audience chuckles at his joke. 

“That’s because Seungcheol picked someone else for the job this time!” Seungkwan pouts.

A loud _boo! r_ esonates from somewhere in the crowd, triggering another round of laughter among the occupants of the auditorium.

How has Jinhwan never heard of Seungkwan before when he’s quite possibly the most famous person on campus? Sue him for never wanting to engage in club activities ( _because I’m here for a legitimate education, not some crystal meditation sessions, damn it)_ and for ignoring his two best friends’ persistent bugging to join them on their God-forsaken escapades. 

“But I think he made the right decision. My successor’s got some killer vocal cords,” Seungkwan continues. 

Murmurs fill the room at the mention of the newbie from the KSA. The Korean Student Association has an outstanding reputation in events like this, almost never failing to bag first place. The first-timer has a lot to live up to if Seungcheol deemed him good enough to replace Seungkwan.

The whispers die down at the sound of Seungkwan clearing his throat. 

“Anyways, enough of my rambling. Let’s welcome the first contestant, Junhui Wen from Delta Kappa Phi!”

Seungkwan steps out of the spotlight and exits the stage with a wave. Jinhwan’s eyes follow the representative from Kappa Phi as he takes his position onstage. He loosens up his shoulders and sags further into his seat, tuning into the soft yet steady voice of the singer.

Jinhwan tells himself that the quiz can wait. 

 

—————————

 

Long story short, the actual showcase isn’t too different from what Jinhwan imagined at all.

Judging by the progressive decline of singing ability as the showcase went on, Jinhwan concludes that the event isn’t taken very seriously, and is far less competitive than he thought it would be. He cringes at the voice cracks and snorts far too many times for it to be considered appropriate. His ears perk up at the occasional questionable choice of song like the comical rendition of _Take On Me_ that had the crowd cheering and laughing their lungs out. 

The show has been going on for nearly two hours now, and Jinhwan is admittedly a little tired. He yawns and checks the time on his phone, seeing that it’s twelve minutes past ten. _Fucking macro quiz,_ he thinks, and makes a move to tap Hanbin on the shoulder to tell him that he’s leaving, but his hand freezes in mid-air at the sound of Seungkwan’s voice booming from the speakers.

“Time for the last act of the night. The one you’ve all been waiting for. Let’s give a big round of applause for the soon-to-be poster child of the Korean Student Association, Junhoe Goo!”

If the crowd was at its loudest before, then it certainly is deafening now. 

Jinhwan retracts his hand and settles back down on his chair, his feeble attempts at cheering for the next contestant drowned by the hollers and chants of the people around him. He looks over to where his friends are sitting and sees Bobby out of his seat, holding up a bright yellow sign with the big, bold letters of ‘KSA’ drawn on it in a myriad of colors. Jinhwan stares at the offending placard and recalls Bobby asking him to pick up a 24-color Sharpie set while he was at Target the either day. 

“I could’ve used the twenty dollars for actual groceries, dipshit _,”_ Jinhwan mutters under his breath. He sets an internal reminder to hound Bobby for cash after the show is over.

He’s dragged out of his thoughts when a tall, well-built boy walks onto the stage with an electric guitar slung across his back and his head held high, wearing the most charming smile Jinhwan has ever laid eyes upon. 

Jinhwan blatantly stares at said boy and his head of perfectly coiffed dark hair. The boy swiftly angles his figure in his general direction as if sensing his burning gaze, scanning the crowd for who Jinhwan hopes to God isn’t his significant other.

Junhoe’s body halts mid-rotation when he finally finds the person he’s looking for. 

“Mingyu!” he yells. “This song’s for you, you rascal. Hopefully it’ll make you get your head out of your ass and finally talk to that skinny guy with the glasses who you’ve been pining over for so long!”

A commotion ensues a few rows down from Jinhwan. He spots two people snickering as they take turns lightly shoving the boy between them. The aforementioned boy looks like he’d rather be anywhere else than the auditorium judging by the way his large body sinks further into his seat, but not before flashing two very noticeable middle fingers at the person on the stage.

Junhoe chuckles at his friend’s inappropriate gesture, his deep, throaty laughter resounding through the hall.

Beaming at the audience, he begins to introduce himself, “Hey everyone. I’m Junhoe and I’m here tonight to snatch Seungkwan’s title as the campus’ favorite vocalist.”

Jinhwan can’t tell whether he meant it as a joke or not, but the crowd’s collective “ooh” tells him that they are definitely amused.

“I know it’s getting late and everyone must be really tired already,” Junhoe resumes, “but you only have one more song to sit through until this is over, so sit back and enjoy the show.”

Junhoe adjusts the microphone as the audience applauds, a small grin gracing the handsome features of his face. Jinhwan is able to note the flawless arch of the boy’s eyebrows and the sharp slope of his jawline even from this distance.

Junhoe signals to the crew at the sidelines that he’s ready. The auditorium fills with the crackle of a dated vinyl, but is soon replaced by an a cappella sequence that Jinhwan knows all too well. The audience seems to recognize the song as well, given the cacophony of cheers that arise as the piano instrumental starts playing.

Jinhwan’s eyes widen at the realization that Junhoe is seconds away from singing his favorite song. The boy onstage takes a deep breath right before he starts singing on beat with the crash of cymbals marking the beginning of the first verse.

“ _Each morning I get up I die a little, can barely stand on my feet_.”

The moment the first lyrics of Queen’s _Somebody to Love_ echo across the auditorium, Jinhwan swears he falls in love right then and there.

Mouth agape, Jinhwan’s gaze zeroes in on Junhoe. Junhoe whose charisma and confidence pulse throughout the auditorium in waves. Junhoe who clutches the microphone tight as he belts out the words to the song. Junhoe who has everyone in the room wrapped around his finger in a matter of seconds.

The hall is devoid of any noise from the crowd, Junhoe’s singing and the instrumentals being the only sounds that resound through it. Everybody seems to be enraptured in the low, husky quality of Junhoe’s voice, captivated by his prowess in carrying a tune which is undoubtedly far from easy to pull off.

Time passes as Junhoe’s voice surrounds Jinhwan’s conscience, causing him to lose focus on the world around him.

“ _They say I got a lot of water in my brain. Ah, got no common sense, I’ve got nobody left to believe in._ ”

Jinhwan shakes himself out of his trance, and before he knows it, Junhoe has sung up to the end of the third verse, which means…

Junhoe swings the electric guitar he’s had across his back up and over his shoulders, settling it diagonally across his front. He flashes the audience a dazzling smile before placing his fingers on the strings and begins to play what Jinhwan decides makes him the most attractive person he’s ever seen: the Brian May guitar sequence.

And there it is, Junhoe has flipped the switch.

The audience who remained stock-still for the first half of the song immediately bursts into motion and cheers as Junhoe’s slender fingers fly across the fingerboard, playing what Jinhwan’s very sure is the best rendition of the iconic guitar verse he’s ever heard.

Bobby flails his signboard more wildly, and Hanbin bops his head to the exciting beat. Hanbin glances over at Jinhwan and notices his dazed expression, nudging him in the ribs. “He’s great, isn’t he?”

“He’s phenomenal,” Jinhwan answers breathlessly. 

Hanbin snickers. “Junhoe started going here two years ago, but he’s only ever sung some acoustic stuff for the KSA during meetings and get-togethers. I sometimes hear him belt out rock songs in the shower when I hang out at Jihoon’s because Junhoe’s friends with his housemate and stays over often, so I kind of had an idea of what we were in for.” 

Jinhwan can only manage a nod in reply, eyes still transfixed on Junhoe who has begun singing again. 

“ _I just gotta get out of this prison cell, one day I’m gonna be free, Lord!_ ”

Junhoe holds his arms out, prompting the crowd to join in on the a cappella bridge, and they comply easily. The whole theatre starts to sing in unison, and Jinhwan is amazed at how everyone takes note of the dynamics, starting from a low hum then smoothly transitioning into a crescendo.

This continues on for the rest of the song, the audience singing the background vocals as Junhoe does his ad-libs. He executes them perfectly to no one’s surprise.

“ _Find me, find me, find me._ ”

The cymbals fade out, leaving the piano on its own. Junhoe waits until the final playful note to strike the legendary Freddie Mercury pose, tilting the mic stand forward, spreading his legs and raising his right arm into the air. The crowd goes wild and Junhoe receives a standing ovation. Jinhwan and Hanbin rise from their seats to applaud, joining Bobby who is already enthusiastically clapping.

“If he doesn’t win then this show is rigged!” Bobby yells.

People around them giggle and give him a few thumbs up. Jinhwan couldn’t agree more. Junhoe undoubtedly stole the show tonight.

Junhoe smiles from ear to ear, eyes crinkling into crescents, and takes a long bow before thanking the audience and walking off the stage. The cheering does not cease even when Seungkwan comes back onstage. The crowd dies down after a few seconds though, so Seungkwan takes this as his cue to begin speaking.

“Wow, now that is what I call a show-stopping performance. He might just be better than me,” Seungkwan sighs.

The audience hollers in agreement. Everyone appears to be abuzz with energy and Jinhwan can’t say that he’s any different; Junhoe’s five-minute act alone outweighed the otherwise lackluster performances that Jinhwan witnessed earlier in the night.

A girl scampers up to Seungkwan’s side and hands him a piece of paper. Seungkwan pores over it curiously and gasps when he reads its contents. “Ladies and gentlemen, looks like the results are out already. The judges really didn’t have to think it over for long, huh,” he huffs.

“Without further ado, let’s begin the awarding! In fifth place comes...”

Jinhwan tunes out the emcee’s monologue entirely. Junhoe’s performance sears and replays itself in his mind like a broken record. 

How can someone be that good? he asks himself. He thinks this might be what being star-struck feels like.

His brain has halfway devolved into a fuzzy cloud of his thoughts when Hanbin pokes him in the ribs a little too strongly. Jinhwan jerks away with a reprimand at the tip of his tongue, but it never escapes his mouth because Hanbin gestures to the emcee who is riling the audience up for the final award of the night.

“Are you ready to find out who the winner is?” Seungkwan yells.

The crowd howls in anticipation, eager for tonight’s champion to be revealed.

Seungkwan keeps the audience on the edge of their seats as he drags his gaze over the auditorium, as if assessing the level of trepidation coursing though everyone’s veins.

“You all seem to be dying to know the winner, so as the gracious human being that I am, I’m going to put you all out of your misery right now. Without further ado, in first place comes…”

Jinhwan doesn’t know why his heart is beating out of his chest, why his white-knuckled grip on the armrests won’t loosen no matter how hard he wills himself to let go. Except maybe he does, if the mantra of _Please let it be Junhoe, please let it be him_ is any indication.

“…Junhoe Goo! Congratulations, the KSA takes home the title again!”

Jinhwan exhales a lungful of air the second the people around him explode into cheers.

Junhoe emerges from the sidelines with the elegance of a newborn deer. The arms that push him onto the main stage cause him to stumble and nearly trip over himself. The huge smile on his face negates the fact that he was one wobble away from kissing the floor, though, and he jogs towards center stage at Seungkwan’s beckoning.

Seungkwan hands him the trophy and shoves a microphone into his hands, gesturing for him to make his winning speech.

Junhoe looks ethereal standing under the rain of confetti and the bright lights of the auditorium. Flowers get thrown onto the stage and Junhoe gingerly bends down to pick one up, a beautiful red rose that only accentuates his beauty even further.

Jinhwan desperately wants to pick up the stray pieces of golden confetti that cling onto Junhoe’s hair, but he remains glued to his seat, knowing that he’ll only be able to admire the boy from afar.

“I…” Junhoe begins, the waver in his voice betraying the confidence that he had just minutes ago.

“I’d like to thank everyone that came to watch me sing tonight. I had never even thought of joining a competition of this scale, not until Seungcheol hyung sat me down one day and threatened me to sign up, just this one time,” Junhoe lets out a nervous giggle at this.

“But now I think I know why everyone loves the showcase so much. The notion of performing in front of thousands of people is daunting to say the least, but the thrill that spread through my body the more I sang, and the emotions that hit me square in the face as soon as I struck the final note, they all trumped the uneasiness that I had before going up on stage. 

“So I want to thank you all for being such an amazing audience and for placing the weight of a hefty crown on me even though I still lack in a lot of aspects. I’ll work harder to impress you all once more next time.”

Junhoe’s full-on ninety-degree bow is followed by thundering claps that put fireworks to shame. 

Jinhwan claps along with the others, wearing a toothy grin and wiping away at a few tears that gather at the corners of his crinkled eyes.

He has never even spoken to the boy, nor did he know of his existence until only half an hour ago, but the pride that simmers at the center of his chest is undeniable. He wonders if he would feel any different had he been friends with Junhoe beforehand, but it’s hard to imagine being any happier than he is now.

Staring at the golden boy on stage, Jinhwan is truly and irrevocably in awe, and he can’t wait to see what Junhoe does next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> inspired by the time when i went to an iKON fansign and asked Junhoe what his favorite Queen song was and he responded in the form of belting out "SOMEBODY TO LOOOOOOOOVE" in my face. 
> 
> this was supposed to be a behemoth of a one-shot, but after Jinhwan posted those pics of him and Junhoe,,, i couldn't resist :')
> 
> happy birthday to my shining rockstar <3 love you and your unhealthy mma and soju obsession


	2. Chapter 2

The chilly October air cuts through the thin fabric of Jinhwan’s shirt as he stands outside the auditorium. He shifts from one foot to the other, occasionally blowing warm gusts of air into his cupped hands to fight the cold. On his left stands Hanbin, who looks perfectly fine swaddled up in his large padded coat.

“Why the hell is taking Bobby so long?” Jinhwan asks.

Hanbin shrugs his shoulders, breath coming out misty and dissipating into the air with every exhale. “He should be out soon. He told me he was going backstage to hang with the KSA guys for a minute.”

“More like twenty.”

“Cut him some slack, hyung. He’s just really happy that his baby cousin won the showcase on his first try.”

It takes a few seconds for Hanbin’s words to sink in, and when they do, Jinhwan stops rubbing his palms together to shoot Hanbin a wary look. “Junhoe is Bobby’s cousin?”

Hanbin gives him a sidelong glance. “Yeah, why do you think he went all the way to show up and make that sign when he could’ve slept in like he always does?”

Now that Jinhwan thinks about it, Bobby has never been one to willingly participate in any sort of activity that requires a modicum of effort when he could be in bed instead. Except for when Hanbin bribes him out of his dorm room with the promise of a free meal at Taco Bell.

“Speak of the devil, here he comes.” Hanbin gestures to the three figures walking out of the front doors of the auditorium.

Hanbin calls out Bobby’s name and waves him over. Bobby spots him and nudges the other two men, pointing in Jinhwan and Hanbin’s general direction to lead his friends to where they are waiting.

They approach whilst engaged in an animated conversation, and the closer they get, the better Jinhwan is able to identify the other people Bobby is with. Jinhwan doesn’t know the person on the right. He shares a similar build to Bobby, but with shorter hair and bigger eyes. The person in the middle though, Jinhwan recognizes immediately.

It’s Junhoe.

Numbers start turning in Jinhwan’s head. Based on his calculations, he has a grand total of seven seconds to pull himself together before Junhoe comes to stand in front of him. He shifts into a more comfortable position, leaning his weight onto his left foot and crossing his arms over his chest, all the while trying to school his face into an expression as neutral as he can manage. His seven seconds are up before he knows it, and all he can do now is stare at Junhoe and his devastatingly handsome face.

Bobby bounds up to Jinhwan and flings an arm around his shoulders. “Sorry if you waited long, hyung, Junhoe was being held up by a swarm of girls trying to get selfies with him,” Bobby explains.

“That’s our charming little rockstar, hogging all the ladies to himself,” says the man who Jinhwan doesn’t recognize. He ruffles Junhoe’s hair which makes the boy bow his head in embarrassment, but Jinhwan can spot the hint of a grin that tugs at the corners of his mouth. “I’m Seungcheol by the way, president of the KSA.” 

Seungcheol extends a hand and Jinhwan reaches out to take it. The handshake is firm and oddly business-like, though the other’s smile is very warm and welcoming. When Seungcheol lets go of Jinhwan’s hand, Junhoe takes it as his cue to offer his own.

“And I’m Junhoe, but I guess you know that already,” he chuckles.

Jinhwan pays far more heed to this handshake than the last. He takes a step forward and slots his hand into Junhoe’s outstretched one. His hand feels warm nestled in the other’s grip, thick fingers enveloping his own frail ones. Junhoe’s palm is far from smooth, Jinhwan can feel the few callouses marring the expanse of skin. Suddenly all Jinhwan can think about is how much time Junhoe spends playing his guitar with his hands bearing the brunt of the nylon strings. He must have been stuck in his thoughts for too long, though, because someone clears their throat and Jinhwan retracts his hand in a heartbeat.

Jinhwan feels the heat creeping into his cheeks as he steps back and blames it on the weather. “Sorry… it’s just—your hand is really warm and my entire body’s been freezing out here,” he sheepishly says.

The giggle Junhoe lets out causes Jinhwan to look up into his eyes. 

“Hey, it’s alright. I get that a lot, good circulation huh? Good to know I can function as a personal heater if anyone needs me to.” 

Junhoe wiggles his fingers and it makes them both laugh, Jinhwan albeit a bit awkwardly. It is then that Jinhwan notices Seungcheol looking at him curiously, head titled to the side like a puppy observing a new toy.

“Say, Jinhwan, you _are_ Korean, right? How come I’ve never seen you in any of the KSA meetings?” asks Seungcheol.

Jinhwan opens his mouth to answer but Bobby beats him to it. “Jinhwan hyung’s a lone wolf you see. Very antisocial and borderline recluse,” he jokes. Bobby gets a sharp poke in the ribs courtesy of of Hanbin, who’s glaring daggers at said man. Jinhwan would have to thank him later. 

“Just kidding, geez!” Bobby continues, rubbing at his side. “Hyung’s really busy with school since he’s double majoring in Business and Informatics, so he’s never bothered to join any clubs and stuff. But Hanbin and I take him out sometimes because we’re good friends who don’t want our beloved hyung to miss out on the whole college experience. Or at least half of it.”

Seungcheol lets out an _ahh_ in understanding and directs his eyes to Jinhwan as if expecting something more. Jinhwan can’t really complain. Bobby basically told him his entire life story. So he just nods and replies, “What he said.”

“Aw hyung, can’t you make just a little time to squeeze the KSA into your schedule?” To Jinhwan’s surprise, it’s Junhoe who speaks up this time. Jinhwan whips his head around and they make eye contact. And what is Jinhwan supposed to do? Say no when he has the most adorable smile in the world guilt-tripping him from a mere four feet away?

Jinhwan fumbles around for a few moments, cogs whirring in his head to come up with a response that he won’t end up regretting later. “I-I don’t know, I guess I can move things around a little,” he finally mumbles.

He pretends like he didn’t catch the eyebrow Hanbin cocks at him in favor of facing Junhoe who beams at him like he holds the entire world in his hands.

“Awesome! You’re going to have so much fun, hyung! Here, let me give you my number so you’ll be up to date on everything that happens.”

Junhoe motions for Jinhwan to hand over his phone and Jinhwan ignores the slight tremble in his hands when he fishes it out of his back pocket. He passes the phone into Junhoe’s hands after entering his passcode, watching as Junhoe keys in his digits.

“I think that’s supposed to be my job, June-yah, being president and all,” quips Seungcheol from the side. 

“Yeah, but this is one less task off of your shoulders. You should be grateful,” Junhoe clucks.

“Nothing that I can’t handle.”

Seungcheol plucks Jinhwan’s phone from Junhoe’s fingers and types in his own number, handing the phone back to its owner after he’s done.

“I’ll add you to the WhatsApp group where I’ll be announcing the dates and times of any events we’re going to have. Don’t be pressured to tag along if you really can’t, I’m already really happy that you considered to join us.”

The smile Seungcheol sends his way is sweet, sincere. Even though Jinhwan has only known him for ten minutes, he understands why everyone likes him so much. He’s cordial, mindful and understanding, all traits of an ideal leader. Jinhwan is glad that he doesn’t have to deal with a stuck-up, authoritarian president.

“Thanks, both of you,” Jinhwan says genuinely.

It is quiet as the three boys exchange smiles, until Hanbin breaks the silence by sneezing into his hands.

“Shall we start heading back now? It’s getting late and colder by the minute,” Hanbin suggests.

“Ah, actually,” Bobby pipes up, “we were planning to hit up headquarters to celebrate with the rest of the squad. You guys wanna come?”

The look Hanbin levels Bobby with is impressive. Jinhwan didn’t think that anyone could pack that much stink into their eyes.

“So you kept both of us waiting out here in ass degree weather, just to tell us that you’re not walking back with us?” Hanbin’s right eye gives a slight twitch as he questions Bobby.

“Um...” Bobby begins.

“Save it.” The venom is Hanbin’s voice is unmistakable. “Jinhwan hyung has a quiz to study for and I haven’t gotten any sleep in the past forty hours, so sorry to decline your offer, but we’ll be going now.” 

Jinhwan feels the lethargic tug of Hanbin’s fingers on his wrist and looks up to the sight of heavy purple under Hanbin’s eyes and the tired smile on his face. He feels bad for only noticing his best friend’s harrowed appearance under the harsh light of the streetlamp and not before. “Yeah, I think we should leave now. Sorry guys.”

Seungcheol gives Jinhwan a solid pat on the back. “I’ll see you around, yeah?” Jinhwan nods and grins at him.

“Bye, hyung! It was really nice talking to you. I’m expecting your presence at the KSA soon.” Junhoe does the unthinkable and winks at Jinhwan. Thankfully, Jinhwan’s brain doesn’t fail him, and instead prompts him to give a response which baffles himself even more.

“And I’ll be counting on you to sing more songs for me from now on.”

Hanbin’s smirk occupies the edge of his periphery but his eyes are locked on Junhoe, who laughs so brightly Jinhwan concludes that the sun and the stars have nothing on the boy’s smile.

They bid their final goodbyes and walk away, leaving a very guilt-ridden Bobby in their wake. The thudding of their footsteps against the pavement make up the only sounds that accompany them for the first two minutes of the walk to the dorms, until Hanbin interrupts the quiet. “So, what was that about?” 

Would it be embarrassing to admit that Jinhwan knew the confrontation was coming sooner or later?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” he shrugs, kicking a stray pebble into the sewage drain by the curb.

“Don’t play dumb with me hyung, you know exactly what I’m referring to.”

Jinhwan turns and comes face to face with Hanbin’s smug expression. The knowing look on his face irks Jinhwan because he’s sure Hanbin already knows the answer to his own question. 

“You’ve been ignoring all my offers of getting you into the KSA for two years now, but suddenly this guy shows up and you take up his invitation?” 

Jinhwan tries to respond as nonchalantly as possible, “It was time for me to try something new.”

“Bull-shit,” Hanbin singsongs. “Just tell me you have the hots for superstar extraordinaire and we can go along our merry way.”

A shove on the back sends Hanbin stumbling forwards, nearly tripping over himself. “Fuck off,” says Jinhwan, but he doesn’t actually mean it. He doesn’t even try to hide the flush creeping into his cheeks because he knows that it’s practically impossible to keep anything from Hanbin; he always finds out one way or another.

“Just so you know,” Hanbin begins in a sly tone, “he never misses any of the meetings. You’ll be seeing him every single time you go.”

Curse Hanbin and his ever-so-observant nature. Jinhwan did not need to be given that piece of information at all. 

“And your point is?”

“Just saying.”

Jinhwan shoots the younger an icy glare which turns out to be very ineffective, as all he gets is a howl of laughter in return. “It’s okay, hyung. People get crushes all the time.”

It is then that Jinhwan starts regretting his choices. Why had he given in so easily? He doesn’t think himself as an easy guy, yet all it takes to obtain a key to his heart is apparently a Queen cover and a charming smile. 

The two boys don’t speak throughout the rest of the journey back to the dorms. They part ways at the entrance to the building, a mutual “goodbye” shared between the two. Jinhwan trudges up the stairs to the third floor and walks along the dimly lit corridor to his room. He enters without much celebration, body working on autopilot as he changes into his sleepwear, a faded tee and basketball shorts which he probably stole from Bobby back in high school.

He contemplates picking up his textbook to revise for the quiz, but a glance at the clock and the exhaustion consuming him from head to toe make the decision in his stead. Settling into the covers, Jinhwan surrenders himself to the depths of slumber. He teeters on the edge of consciousness and slips awake when a tinny _ding!_ echoes across the room.

The glaring brightness of his phone screen assaults his eyes the moment he swipes it off the nightstand, but that isn’t the only thing that takes him aback.

 

**_June ^_^_**

_Hey!!! just got back from the KSA house after celebrating with everyone!!_

_Hope u got home safely hyung_

_The next meeting is on friday see uuuu_

_Or tomorrow idk maybe we’ll bump into each other at the dining commons or sth hahahahha_

_Anyways everyone is really excited to meet u :D_

 

Jinhwan sits up in mild panic. _Oh god,_ Junhoe is actually going to be the death of him. His fingers hover over the keyboard while he tries to come up with a decent response. Several taps on the keys and a few re-reads later, he presses ‘send’ and breathes out a long sigh. 

 

**_Jinhwan Kim_ **

_Hi Junhoe, thanks for checking up on me, just getting ready for bed now_

_I’ll try to make it on Friday_

_Looking forward to meeting everybody too :)_

 

It’s been ten minutes since he sent the texts, and Jinhwan mulls over the chat log because he hasn’t gotten a reply. _Did he sound too eager? Was he not friendly enough?_ His paranoia ceases when his phone illuminates with a notification of a text message.

 

**_June ^_^_ **

_I’m counting on u hyung_

_It’s gonna be awesome!_

_Goodnightt_

 

Jinhwan doesn’t try to fight off the small grin that slides onto his face. 

 

**_Jinhwan Kim_ **

_Night, Junhoe_

 

As much as he wouldn’t like to admit it, Jinhwan finds himself looking forward to Friday, and drifts off with the memory of Junhoe’s warm hands encasing his own guiding him into a peaceful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know it's nearly been a month since i posted and im sorry :((
> 
> my a-level exams start in a week and i have university stuff to take care of so i won't be able to update very often, but thank you for reading and i hope you all can cope with my inconsistencies :')


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